In recent years, Malayalam cinema has gained international recognition. Films like Take Off (2017), Sudani from Nigeria (2018), and Angamaly Diaries (2017) have been showcased at international film festivals and have received critical acclaim. The films have also been released in countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Unlike Bollywood’s glamorous rich or Tamil cinema’s larger-than-life heroes, Malayalam films often center on the —the school teacher, the bank clerk, the toddy-tapper, the fisherman. Films like Kireedam (1989) and Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016) celebrate the "everyman" and his quiet dignity.
Kerala is famous for its high literacy rate, political awareness, and the alternating governments of the CPI(M) and INC. Malayalam cinema has historically been a battleground for ideological discourse.